Apparatus for mixing materials



Nov. 4, 1924. 1,513,975

L. H. EICHELBERGER APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS Filed 001;. 20, 1922Patented Nov. 4, 1924. I

UNITED STATES LEWIS HAY EICHELBERGER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS.

Application filed October 20, 1922. Serial No. 595,718.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LEWIS" HAY EICHELBER- can. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, has inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Mixing Materials,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for mixing, agitatingand dischargin; materials under pressure, and is particularly adaptedfor mixing or agitating fluid or semi-fluid materials such as concrete,paint and similar materials and then forcing the material from theapparatus by a jet of fluid pressure.

()ne object. of the invention is to provide an improved apparatuswhereby the material may be readilymixed by the action of fluidpressure; then forced from the mix ing chamber also by the action offluid pressure which latter is supplied in a manner to prevent thematerial from arching in the mixing receptacle and thereby interferingwith the discharge thereof.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in whichFig. 1. shows the improved apparatus in sectional. elevation and incondition for charging and mixing materials, and

Fig. 2. illustrates the hopper; the upper and lower walls of the mixingreceptacle; the discharge tube and the cut-off valve in the openposition ready to discharge the mixed material from the receptacle.

Referring to the drawing the numeralfi, designates a receptacle,preferably with a tapering lower end 6, and provided with a flaringhopper 7. at its upper end in the base of which there is a feed opening8, through which the materials may pass into the receptacle.

A cone valve or plug 9, is located between the hopper and receptaclewith its tapering end. projecting upwardly through the feed opening 8,and the upper end of said conevalve is connected to the inner end of anoperating lever 10, which latter is pivoted at 11. to the edge of thehopper wall. Obviously, by rocking the lever, the cone valve may bedepressed to uncover the feed-opening, or, be elevated, to close thelatter as desired.

The lower tapered end 6, of the receptacle is closed by a plate 12, andan up-turned discharge-end 13, of an air-supply pipe 14, enters from theunder side of said plate so as to direct a supply of air under pressureupwardly, for a purpose presently to be explained.

A pipe 15, extends upwardly through the center of the receptacle and ata point heneath the cone-valve said pipe has a lateral bend 16, whichpasses through the wall of the receptacle and leads to a place ofdischarge. The lower end 17, of the pipe 15, terminates at a pointsomewhat Spaced or elevated with respect to the bottom plate 12. andaround said end I provide an annular sleeve 18, of sufiicient length tobridge the space between the lower end 17, of the pipe and the plate 12,whereby to cut off communication between the interior of the receptacleand the said pipe for reasons presently to be described.

The sleeve 8, while closely fitting the pipe-end 17, is sufficientlyfree to be moved vertically thereon and two rods 19, have their lowerends connected to the sleeve at diametrically-opposite sides of thelatter, and these rods extend vertically at opposite sides of the pipe15, and have their upper ends connected to the cone-Valve. By means ofthe rod connections between the cone-valve and sleeve, the valve andsleeve will be raised and lowered simultaneously, so that when the coneis lowered to open the feed opening 8. the sleeve will be lowered toclose communication between the pipeand the interior of the receptacle.When the cone-valve is moved to the closed position the sleeve will bemoved to the open position.

Around the receptacle I provide a circular pipe or header 20, from whicha series of small pipes 21, branch and enter the wall of the receptacle.The branch pipes being distributed so that jets of air may be directedinto the receptacle at numerous places. A supply-pipe 22, connects withthe header and supplies the latter with compressed air at the desiredpressure.

A pipe 23, extends from the upper portion of the receptacle and extendsdown to and connects with the air supply pipe 14,- a valve 24, beingprovided in the pipe 23, to control the passage of air through thelatter.

A valve 25, is also provided in pipe 14, to control the passage of airto the discharge-end 13, of said pipe.

-In the operation of the apparatus, all air will be cut off, cone-valve9, will be lowered to uncover feed opening 8, and

sleeve 18, will be lowered to close communication between pipe-en'd 17,and the interior of the receptacle. The materials to be mixed will thenbe fed into the receptacle through the feedopening .8, after which airwill be admitted through the branch pipes 21, from the header 20. Thisair under pressure is utilized to agitate and mix the mass. when themixin operation is completed, cone-valve 9, will raised to close feedopenin 8, and to elevate sleeve 18, and open the l ower end of pipe 17,into the receptacle. Valves 23 and 25, will then be opened so as topermit the passage of air through pipes 14 and 23, and the airsupplied'on top of the mass by pipe 23, will force the materials down inthe rece tacle while the air passing from the d18- charge-end 13, ofpipe 14, enters the lower end 17, of pipe 15, and draws the materialfrom the receptacle up through pipe 15, and laterally by pipe 16, to apoint of discharge.

By providing pressure on top of the mass and discharging from the bottomof said mass, liability of the mass to arch in the receptacle andthereby fail to feed down to the lower end, is avoided.

The operation of mixing and discharging is quickly carried on with nomoving mechanisms except the valve 9, and sleeve 18.

Having described my invention, what I claim is,-

1. In an apparatus for handling materials the combination with a.receptacle having a contracted portion, of a discharge ipe on theinterior of the receptacle with its lbwer end terminating slightly abovethe lower end of the contracted portion and said pipe passing throughthe wall of the receptacle and leading to the exterior thereof; valvemeans for controlling the inlet of material to the receptacle; means atthe lower end of said discharge pipe for cutting off communicationbetween said pipe-end and the interior of the receptacle and means foradmitting fluid under pressure into the receptacle beneath the saidlower end of the discharge pipe to force the materials from thereceptacle up through said discharge pipe.

'2. In an apparatus for handling materials the combination with areceptacle having a contracted portion, of a discharge pipe on theinterior of the receptacle with its lower end terminating slightly abovethe lower end of the contracted portion and said pipe passing throughthe wall of the receptacle and leading to the exterior thereof; valvemeans for controlling the inlet of material to the receptacle; a sleevemovable on the lower end of said discharge-pipe for closingeommunicatibn between sald end and the interior of the receptacle, meansfor moving said sleeve and means for admitting fluid under pressure intothe receptacle at said sleeve and pipe-end to force material from thereceptacle up through said discharge-pipe.

3. In an apparatus for mixing materials the combination with a recetacle having an inlet for materials, of a disc arge pipe communicablewith the interior of the receptacle and extending to the exterior of thelatter; valve means at the said inlet; means for cutting offcommunication between the discharge pipe and the interior of thereceptacle; means for agitating the material in the receptacle; meansfor connecting the valve means and the pipe cut off means whereby toopen one and close the other, and pressure means for drawing materialfrom the receptacle and discharging it through said pipe.

4. In an apparatus for mixing materials the combination with areceptacle having an inlet for materials, of a discharge pipeterminating in the receptacle near the bottom of the latter; valve meansat the receptacle inlet; means movable with respect to the pipe tocontrol communication between said pipe and the interior of thereceptacleconnections between said valve means and said movable means tooperate them simultaneously and fluid pressure means for conveying thematerials through said discharge pipe.

In an apparatus for mixing materials the combination with a receptaclehaving a tapered lower end and having a filling opening at its upperend, of a discharge pipe in the receptacle and terminating in thetapered lower end; a valve controlling the filling opening; a sleeve onthe lower end of the pipe to close the latter from commulnication withthe interior of the receptac ethe valve to operate them simultaneouslyand means for directing a blast of fluid under pressure into thedischa-r e pipe to draw material from the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEWIS HAY E ICHELBERGER.

connections between the sleeve and

